Mission-Centered Leadership Competency Model©

Ministry leadership formation that reinforces development and demonstration of the distinctive competencies required to successfully lead a Catholic health care organization with passion occurs through various modes of individual and group learning; through relationships with supervisors, peers, direct reports, and coaches; through processes of personal and organizational accountability; and more.

The competencies required to lead a healthcare ministry have been described in many ways by Catholic health care organizations. Although each health care system's competency set is grounded in the values, culture, and challenges of that system, common elements can be found in the Mission-Centered Leadership Competency Model©, based on research conducted throughout the ministry by CHA in the early 1990s and updated in 1999 by CHA and a number of Catholic health systems. Many systems' competency sets, while using different labels and definitions, reflect core competencies from the Mission-Centered Leadership Competency Model©.

The competency model is symbolized by a cross composed of four converging arrows, each a "cluster" of two competencies. The cross symbolizes the presence and power of God's love for all those who suffer, a divine love that is revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This cross is planted in the world as the seed of its transformation, as a sign that the Catholic health care mission is to incarnate divine love in the world. At the center of the cross is a diamond that reflects and integrates the dynamic tensions of leadership in Catholic health care: Vocation, Values, Focus and Action.

The Mission-Centered Leadership Competency Model© distills the essence of successful leadership into four interrelated clusters. Two of the clusters focus on leaders' values and faith-related characteristics, while the other two deal with business acumen. As a whole, the model reflects the reality that a Catholic health care organization's mission and its business strengthen and reinforce each other.

THE COMPETENCIES

Vocation

• Spiritual Grounding
• Integrity

Values

• Integration of Ministry Values
• Care for Poor and Vulnerable Persons

Focus

• Information Seeking
• Performance Excellence

Action

• Change Leadership
• Shaping the Organization

MISSION-CENTERED LEADERSHIP COMPETENCY MODEL About the Design The design of the Mission-Centered Leadership Competency Model —the cross planted in the world as a seed of its transformation — symbolizes Catholic health care as a witness of God's love in the world.

Competency Assessment 

Mission-Centered Leadership Competency Model© 1999 by The Catholic Health Association of the United States and Hay Acquisition Co., Inc. (assignee from and licensor to Hay Group, Inc., and its affiliates). All rights reserved.